Thera 20.4: Ratthapala
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(251):Ratthapala Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter XVI. Twenty Verses =251. Raṭṭhapāla= He was reborn in this Buddha-age in the country of the Kurus, in the township of Thullakoṭṭhika, as the son of a councillor named Raṭṭhapāla,1and was called by his family name. Brought up in a large establishment of retainers, he was united, when adolescent, to a suitable wife, and enjoyed a prosperity resembling that of the devas. Now the Exalted One(Buddha), touring in the Kuru country, came to Thullakoṭṭhika, and Raṭṭhapāla went to hear him teach. Receiving faith, he with great difficulty obtained his parents' leave to renounce the world. Going to the Lord(Buddha), he received initiation into monkhood from a bhikkhu(monk) at the Lord(Buddha)'s command, and studying diligently developed insight and won arahantship(enlightenment). Upon that he obtained permission to visit his parents, and went to Thullakoṭṭhika,, going from house to house for alms. At his father's house he obtained rancid gruel, but ate it as if it were ambrosia. Invited by his father, he went next day to his home. And when the ladies in fine dresses asked him: 'What are the celestial nymphs like, my lord, for whose sake you live the holy life(celibacy)?' he taught them the Path(Dhamma) in connection with impermanence, etc., repulsing their insinuating conduct: ---- 769 Passa cittakataɱ bimbaɱ arukāyaɱ samussitaɱ,|| Āturaɱ bahusaŋkappaɱ yassa natthi dhuvaɱ ṭhiti.|| || 770 Passa cittaka rūpaɱ maṇinā ka1ṇḍalena ca,|| Aṭṭhiɱ tacena onaddhaɱ saha vatthehi sobhati.|| || 771 Alattakatā pādā mukhaɱ cuṇṇakamakkhitaɱ,|| Alaɱ bālassa mohāya no ca pāragavesino.|| || 772 Aṭṭhapādakatā kesā nettā añjanamakkhitā,|| Alaɱ bālassa mohāya no ca pāragavesino.|| || 773 Añjanīva navā cittā pūtikāyo alaŋkato,|| Alaɱ bālassa mohāya no ca pāragavesino.|| || 774 Odahi migavo pāsaɱ nāsadā vāguraɱ migo,|| Bhatvā nivāpaɱ gacchāma kandante migabandhake.|| || 775 Chinno pāso migavassa nāsadā vāguraɱ migo,|| Bhutvā nivāpaɱ gacchāma socante migaluddake.|| || ---- 769 See the tricked-out puppet-shape(human body), a mass Of sores, a mass diseased, and full Of many purposes and plans, and yet In whom there is no power to persist!2 (769) 770 See the tricked-out form(human body), bejewelled, ringed, Sheathèd in bones and skinny envelope, By help of gear made fine and fair to see! 771 Feet dyed with lac, with rouge the lips besmeared: All good enough for dull wit of a fool, But not for him who seeks the Beyond! 772 The locks in eightfold plaits, eyes fringed with black(kajal): All good enough for dull wit of a fool, But not for him who seeks the Beyond(Nirvana)! 773 Like a collyrium(kajal)-pot,3 brand new, embossed, The body foul within is boldly decked: All good enough for dull wit of a fool, But not for him who seeks the Beyond. 774 The trapper set his trap. The deer came not Against the net.4 We've eaten of the bait - Let's go!5 the while deer trappers make lament. 775 Broken is the hunter's trap! The deer came not Against the net. We've eaten of the bait - Let's go; the while deer catchers weep and wail. ---- Raṭṭhapāla upon that went through the air6 to the Antelope Park of King Koravya, and seated himself on a stone slab. Now the Thera's father had had bolts put on his seven doors, and had sent men to prevent him from getting out, and to take off his yellow robes and clothe him in white.7 Hence the Thera's going through the air. Then the king, hearing where he was seated, went to him, and with courteous greeting asked him thus: 'Master Raṭṭhapāla, in this world men renounce it for some kind of misfortune - illness, loss of king, wealth or family. But you who have suffered no such thing, why have you left the world(for monkhood)?' Then the Thera replied: 'The world passes away, is transient; the world is without refuge or providence; the world has no stronghold; the world is wanting and destitute, dissatisfied, the slave of craving.' Thus showing his separate condition, he recited a parallel in verse : ---- 776 Pasisāmi loke sadhane manusse|| Laddhāna vittaɱ na dadanti mohā,|| Luddhā 76 dhanaɱ sannicayaɱ karonti|| Bhiyyo va kāme abhipatthayanti.|| || 777 Rājā pasayha paṭhaviɱ visetvā|| Sasāgarantaɱ mahimāvasanto,|| Oraɱ samuddassa atittarūpo|| Pāraɱ samuddassa'pi patthayetha.|| || 778 Rājā ca aññe ca bahū manussā|| Avītataṇhā maraṇaɱ upenti,|| Ūnāva hutvāna jahanti dehaɱ|| Kāmehi lokamhi na hatthi titti.|| || 779 Kandanti naɱ ñāti pakiriya kese|| Aho vatā no amarāti cāhu,|| Vatthena naɱ pārutaɱ nīharitavā|| Citaɱ samedhāya tato ḍahanti.|| || 780 So ḍayhati sūlehi tujjamāno|| Ekena vatthena pahāya bhoge,|| Na mīyamānassa bhavanti tāṇā|| Gñātī ca mittā athavā sahāyā.|| || 781 Dāyādakā tassa dhanaɱ haranti|| Satto pana gacchati yena kammaɱ,|| Na mīyamānaɱ dhanamanveti kiñci|| Puttā ca dārā ca dhanaɱ ca raṭṭhaɱ.|| || 782 Na dīghamāyu labhate dhanena|| Na cā'pi vittena jaraɱ vihanti,|| Appaɱ hi taɱ jīvitamāhu dhīrā|| Asassataɱ vippariṇāmadhammaɱ.|| || 783 Aḍḍhā daḷiddā ca phusanti phassaɱ|| Bālo ca dhīro ca tatheva phuṭṭho,|| Bālo hi bālyā vadhito'va seti|| Dīro ca no vedhati phassaphuṭṭho.|| || 784 Tasmā hi paññā'va dhanena seyyā|| Yāya vosānamidādhigacchati,|| Abyositattā hi bhavābhavesu,|| Pāpāni kammāni karoti mohā.|| || 785 Upeti 77 gabbhañ ca parañ ca lokaɱ|| Saɱsāramāpajja paramparāya,|| Tassappañ ca abhisaddahanto|| Upeti gabbhañ ca parañca lokaɱ.|| || 786 Coro yathā sandhimukhe gahīto|| Sakammunā haññati pāpadhammo,|| Evaɱ pajā pacca paramhi loke|| Sakammukā haññati pāpadhammā. || || 787 Kāmā hi citrā madhurā manoramā|| Virūparūpena mathenti cittaɱ,|| Ādīnavaɱ kāmaguṇesu disvā|| Tasmā ahaɱ pabbajitomhi rāja.|| || 788 Dumapphalānīva patanti mānavā|| Daharā ca vuddhā ca sarīrabhedā,|| Etam pi disvā pabbajitomhi rāja|| Apaṇṇakaɱ sāmaññameva seyyo, || || 789 Saddhāyāhaɱ pabbajito upeto jinasāsane,|| Avañjhā mayhaɱ pabbajjā anaṇo bhuñjāmi bhojanaɱ.|| || 790 Kāme ādittato disvā jātarūpāni satthato,|| Gabbhavokkantito dukkhaɱ nirayesu mahabbhayaɱ.|| || 791 Etam ādīnavaɱ ñatvā saɱvegaɱ alabhiɱ tadā,|| So'haɱ viddho tadā santo sampatto āsavakkhayaɱ.|| || 792 Pariciṇṇo mayā satthā kataɱ buddhassa sāsanaɱ,|| Ohito garuko bhāro bhavanetti samūhatā.|| || 793 Yassatthāya pabbajito agārasmānagāriyaɱ,|| So me atthe anuppatto sabbasaɱyojanakkhayo' ti.|| || ---- 776 Men8 of much wealth I see in the world:- Riches acquiring they err in not giving. Make out of greed a great hoard of their wealth, Yes, yearning/craving yet after ever more pleasures. 777 The king having forcibly conquered the earth, To the shore of the ocean, holding the land This side of the sea, may yet all unsatisfied Crave after the further side also. 778 See where both king and full many another man Nursing their cravings come to their dying. Paupers becoming,9 they put off this body, For never content in pleasures of this world. 779 Relatives bewail him with hair dishevelled, Crying: 'Alas! would our relative were immortal!'10 Him in his shroud enveloped they bear away; Raising a pyre they forthwith cremate him. 305 780 He lies burning, by forks being prodded, Clad in one garment, stripped of all riches. Never to one who is dying are family Refuge, nor friends, no, nor even neighbours. 781 His wealth is annexed by his heirs, but the being11 Goes according to all his past actions. Never did wealth follow after the dying, Nor children, nor wife, nor wealth, nor a kingdom. 782 Never is long life gotten through riches, Nor is old age ever banished by property. Brief is this life, all the sages have told us; Transient it is, and essentially changing. 783 All feel the Touch,12 both the poor and the wealthy; Touched is the wise man no less than the fool. But the fool, overcome down by his folly, lies prostrate; The wise man, when feeling the Touch, never trembles. 784 For that reason far better than riches is wisdom, By which we arrive even here at the terminus. For from not reaching the goal13 the dull-minded Work wicked deeds in delusion, reborn In spheres whether high or whether of no account.14 785 Comes a man to the womb and in other worlds Finds rebirth, being caught in Saŋsāra, In rounds of countless many previous lives; Him one of little wit follows believing, Comes to birth both here and in other worlds. 786 Even as a thief who is taken in burglary, By his own act is condemned as a criminal,15 306 So is the race, after death, in another world, By its own doing condemned as a criminal. 787 For by the charm, sweet and many, of sense-desire, One way or other the mind is unbalanced; And seeing the evil in sensuous pleasures, Therefore, O King, have I gone all forsaking. 788 Fall as fruit from the tree all the sons of men, Youthful and aged, when breaks down the body, This too seeing, O King, have I gone forth(into monkhood). Better the safe, sure life of religion. 789 Full of high confidence16 I left the world(for monkhood) And joined the Monk’s order of the Conqueror(Buddha). Blameless my going forth has been, and free From debt I live on my allotted share.17 790 Looking on sense-desires as fire lit up. On gold and silver as a noxious knife, life from entry in the womb with sorrow, And on the fearsome peril of the hells: - 791 Seeing, I say, great evils everywhere, because of that was I with anguish much obsessed. Then to me, pierced and wounded as I was, Came fourfold victory: over sense-desires, Over rebirth, error, ignorance, victory!18 792 The Lord(Buddha) has my loyalty and love,19 And all the Buddha's teaching has been done. Low have I laid the heavy load I wore, Cause for rebirth is found in me no more. 793 The Good for which I gave the world farewell, And left the home to live where home was not, That highest Good have I accomplishèd, And every bond and chain is destroyed.20 ---- Then the Thera, having thus taught the Path(Dhamma) to King Koravya, went back to the Lord(Buddha). And He thereafter, in the assembly of the Ariyans, declared Raṭṭhapāla foremost of those who had left the world(for monkhood) through faith.21 ---- 1 Because he was wealthy enough to prop up a bankrupt kingdom (Commentary). This legend is more fully told in Majjhima, vol. ii., No. 82. It reappears also in the Vinaya Texts and the Jātaka (vol. i., No. 14). See on this Mr. W. Lupton's discussion, prefacing his edition and translation of the Raṭṭhapāla Sutta, JRAS, 1894, p. 769 ff. I have largely profited by Mr. Lupton's translation of the verses. Dhammapāla's brief résumé is given in full. 2 Cf. verse 1020 f. 3 Here Mr. Lupton has somewhat missed the point. 4 Nāsādā = na sanghaṭṭesi (Commentary). 5 Or, 'we go.' 6 The older chronicle in the Majjhima Nikāya does not mention this feat of the Thera's, nor the father's measures 7 The layman's colour. 8 The metre, till verse 789, is in the Triṣṭubh (Vedic) metre, of the 5 + 5 feet variety. 9 I.e., in their wishes (Commentary). 10 Paraphrased by aho vata (lengthened metri cauisā, 'gāthā- sukhattaŋ') amhākaŋ ñāti amarā siyan (! siyun) ti. 11 Satto. 12 Paraphrased by aniṭṭhaphassaŋ pāpunanti. 13 Anadhigataniṭṭhattā (Commentary). 14 Bhavābhavesu. This curious term is so paraphrased: mahantā mahanteau bhaveau. 15 Quite literally: is ruined (haññati), as being of evil nature. 16 This is the dominant note in the Pali term saddhā, 'faith.' Cf. Dr. Neumann's Zuversicht, rather than Glaube. The śloka metre re-enters here. In the Majjh. the poem ends with (788). 17 Cf. Sisters, verse 110. 18 Expansion of sampatto āsavakkhayaŋ. 19 =verses 604, 605, 687. 20 = verse 136. 21 Ang. Nik., i. 24. ----